A lone goal netted by Riyad Mahrez was enough to earn Algeria a 1-0 2025 Africa Cup of Nations victory over Burkina Faso in a Group E fixture in Rabat on Sunday, December 28th, 2025.Â
Mahrez struck his third goal in two matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring from the penalty spot as Algeria beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in Rabat to reach the last 16.
The 2019 champions ended a run of two consecutive group-stage exits courtesy of Mahrez’s cool first-half strike, converting after Ismahila Ouedraogo’s clumsy challenge.
The spot kick was awarded by referee Daniel Laryea Nii Ayi after Rayan Aït-Nouri tumbled as he was trying to go past Burkinabe defender Ismahila Ouédraogo.
Former Manchester City winger Mahrez, who scored twice in Les Fennecs’ opening 3-0 win over Sudan, dispatched his effort low into the corner, leaving goalkeeper Herve Koffi rooted to the spot.
The result leaves the North Africans coached by Vladimir Petković top of Group E on six points, with Burkina Faso and Sudan tied on three points after the Falcons of Jediane’s 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea earlier on Sunday – a result that means the Equatoguineans are eliminated.
All four teams will play their final group-stage games on Wednesday, when Algeria take on Equatorial Guinea in Rabat and Burkina Faso meet Sudan in Casablanca.
This will be the fourth meeting between the two nations at the Africa Cup of Nations finals. They previously met in 1996, 1998 and at the last edition in 2023.
All of their AFCON encounters have taken place in the group stage, and this is the second time they face each other at successive AFCON tournaments, after meetings in 1996 and 1998.
Across their three previous AFCON meetings, each side has recorded one win, with one match ending in a draw. Both teams have scored in all three of those encounters.
Their first AFCON meeting came in Group B on 24 January 1996, when Algeria won 2-1 in their final group match. Khaled Lounici scored in the 2nd minute and Billel Dziri added a second in the 75th, while Boureima Zongo pulled one back for Burkina Faso late on.
At the 1998 finals, both teams had lost their opening matches when they met in Group A. Hosts Burkina Faso claimed a 2-1 win, with Kassoum Ouédraogo converting a 75th-minute penalty and Seydou Traoré scoring two minutes later. Moussa Saïb scored from the spot for Algeria in the 82nd minute.
Their most recent AFCON meeting came at the 2023 edition, where their Group D clash ended in a 2-2 draw. Burkina Faso led twice through Mohamed Konaté and a Bertrand Traoré penalty, before Baghdad Bounedjah scored both of Algeria’s goals, including an equaliser deep into second-half stoppage time.
Overall, this was the 20th meeting between the sides. Before the match, Algeria and Burkina Faso had each won six of the previous 19 matches, with seven draws.
The last three meetings between the teams ended in draws, including two fixtures in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying and their 2023 AFCON group-stage encounter. The last match to produce a winner was in November 2013, when Algeria won 1-0 at home in World Cup qualifying to progress on away goals.
Algeria have scored in each of their last seven matches against Burkina Faso, while Burkina Faso have found the net in their last three meetings with Algeria.
